Toothpick-machine



E.- GREENWOOD.

TOOTHPICK MACHINE.

APPLICAHON men APR. 10, 1920.

1,37 6,616. 4 Patented May 3,1921.

X wanton underneath and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, EDWARD GREENWOOD,,OF PHILLIPS, MAINE.

TOOTHPIGK'-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application'filed April 10, 1920. Serial No. 372,819.

These machines consist essentially of astationary knife secured to the body of the machine the upper edge of the knife is fed the veneer strip by means of a continuously acting set of feed rolls.

The veneer strip is forced against the upper edge of the knife by means of a wood cutting block secured to the lower end of an eccentric rod operated by an eccentric secured to the main shaft of the machine.

The machines run with great rapidity at the rate of 3,000 revolutions a minute and the splints or toothpicks are chopped off successively from. the end of the strip as the veneer strip feeds over the knife.

The vertical reciprocating motion of the cutting knife is'guided by vertical guides.

or grooves which engage the slides of the cross head to which the cutting block is attached.

This sliding contact between the cross head and the vertical guide causes an excessive vibration and the wear of the machine soon produces a loose fit which is the cause of much vibration machine is For the strip after it has been forced down into theknife to cut I spring plate is used which plate acts to support the strip as it approaches the knife.

The cutting block as it depresses the veneer strip also depresses the spring plate when it rises the spring plate lifts the veneer to a position slightly above the edge of the knife where it can feed forward for the next cut.

The quick and heavy blow thus struck the spring plate when the cutting block descends causes a corresponding upward action as the spring flies back upon being released by the cutting block.

As the spring plate is perfectly free at its forward point to spring upward carryand jar while the running at a high rate ofspeed.

with its edge upward' and across purpose of lifting the veneer.

the splint or toothpick, a

ing with itthe veneer strip the latter is thrown higher than necessary thus interfer- Patented- May. 3, 1921'.

mg with theaccuratecutting of the knife I and thespring plate is also liable to break by its-rapid upward rebound.

The object of my invention is to avoid a sliding contact between the cross head and its guides and to substitute therefor means for holding more firmly and steadily in place thelower end of theeccentric rod and the cutter block.

A further object of my invention is to improve the construction of the spring plate to avoid the liability of breakage and to secure more accurate cutting of the splint 0r toothpick.

According to my invention I substitute for the vertical guide and sliding cross head a pair of links connected at one end with thclowerend of the eccentric rod and at the other end with a permanent portion of the machine.

These links extend out in horizontal position and the only wearing motion is at the pivoting or connecting points and consists simply of a slight rotation in the pivotal bearings.

The cutting block and the holder to which it is attached are thusfirmly held without any lateral vibration and the result is that the machinemay be run with a greatly increased speed and greatly diminished vibration;

The'vertical motion of the cutting block is only about 2,; of an inch and where there is substantially no lateral vibration it may be run as high as 6,000 revolutions a minute with no perceptible'jar or rattle.

. I remedy the difliculty with the spring plate spoken of by forming on one of its substantially a edges a lateral projection which extends I have. illustrated my invention by means of the accompanying drawing in which I have shown so much of the toothpick machine as is necessary of my device with mechanism attached.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation taken from the side where the veneer strip enters the machine.

my improved guiding to show the operation upper ends of the standard 3-3.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4, and Fig. tis a plan view of the spring lifting plate and the lateral guide. In the drawing 1 represents the main shaft, 2-2 its journal bearings formed on the The shaft has secured to it the eccentric 4 having an eccentric strap 5 and an eccentric rod 6. These parts are all common in the old forms of toothpick machines except that the eccentric or eccentric straps have a V guided and held in position by a pair of links 9--9 pivoted to the cutting block holder by a shaft or pin 10.

Each of the links 9 extends forward in a substantially horizontal position and the front end is offset downward and pivoted to the bed of the machine by a pin or shaft 11.

The links 9-.9 are cut away by numerous openings to reduce their weight asmuch as possible and thus facilitate the rapid movement of the cutting block in its holder.

"Theveneer strip 14 is fed through the machine over the spring plate 13 between the rolls 12 and over the knife 15 secured in a suitable manner to the base of the machine. g At opposite edges of the spring plate are two projections 16, one on each edge. The projection 16 fits into a recess 17 formed in the lateral guide 18, the function of which is to guide the veneer strip laterally as it passes through the machine.

It will be readily understood'that the upward movement of the spring plate is checked by the projection 16 coming in contact with the upper portion of the recess 17 when the plate springs too faror far enough to cause liability of breakage. V

It will be seen that a toothpick machine or other machine having a rapidly vibrating cutting block or similar part may be run much more rapidly by the use of my guiding links than by vertically sliding guides.

The link connection as indicated ispreferably pivoted as shown but. if made long enough and flexible enough it may be fastened rigidly at both ends as the extent of term cutting reciprocatlng knife or any plate and outside the andarranged to limit the character described,

motion is very slight and the material of the links might easily spring to that extent without exceeding its limit of elasticity.

WVhile I have specified that the device is I intended for use in connection with the cutto be understood that in the block I desire to include a like instrumentality where rapid vertical reciprocation with little lateral vibration is desirable, the ends in such constructions being pivoted to all intents and purposes.

ting block it is I claim:

1. In a machine for cutting toothpicks, the combination of a shaft, an eccentric and eccentric rod thereon, a cutting block carried said eccentric rod, a guide link for holding said cutting block in position, a stationary knife coacting with said cutting block and means for feedinga veneer strip over atthe end of said eccentric rod, a cuttingblock secured to said holder, guide links pivoted by one end to said cutting block holder and by the opposite end to the machine, a stationary knifecoacting with said cutting block and means for feeding a veneer strip I 1 over saidknife.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a spring plate for lifting the veneer strip, having a anda lateral guide adjacent to said spring main edge of the same having a recess to receive said projection its upward motion.

5. In a machine of p the combination of a spring plate for lifting the veneer strip, having a lateral proj ection and a lateral guide adjacent to said spring plate and outside the main edge of the same having a recess with a shoulder above said projectlon to limit the upward 'movement of said spring plate.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

EDWARD ennnnwoon.

rod, a guide link pivoted lateral projection 

